


Keep You Safe

by TheQueenyGospels



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Baby Damian, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Healing from trauma, Jason Todd is Red Hood, M/M, Mild Stockholm Syndrome, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Slow Burn, Stephanie is Robin, Tim and Jason are dads, Tim is protective of Damian, Tim raised by Ra's, because I said so
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2020-11-23 08:22:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20889062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenyGospels/pseuds/TheQueenyGospels
Summary: In an alternate universe, Tim never gets the chance to confront Bruce about Batman, never gets the chance to be Robin, and never gets to be the hero he could have been in another life.-Tim is taken as a child and raised by Ra's, once Damian is born Tim seeks out Jason's help





	1. Darker, darker, darker

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this really messes with timelines but I don't care, Damian is a baby when Jason is newly Red Hood, I'm putting Jason at 22, and Tim at 18

Gotham is known for its amazing architecture, rich history, and blistering cold winter nights, knowing this, most Gothamites would stay inside when the roads were thick with ice and surrounded by mountains for snow. There are only three types of people that wouldn’t be inside: criminals, vigilantes, and small, gangly nine-year-olds named Tim Drake.

Tim was as careful as he could be, but with Batman busy, and Bruce Wayne coincidentally at charity gala, Nightwing and Robin were working together for the night, and no amount of snow was going to stop Tim from catching the rare moment on camera. Maybe it should bother Tim how easy it is to sneak out of his house, but his nanny never checks on him after bedtime and how would his parents know all the way in LA?

Tim slung his camera over his head then secured the strap and double checked the battery. Satisfied, he climbed out of his window, landing in the snow with a thud. The ice crunched under his boots as he squeezed through the gates effortless and began sneaking through the city, towards the dimly lit side of town that Robin liked to check on more than most areas.   


Little did Tim know that several sets of eyes followed him through the city.

Within two hours Tim captured eight photos of Robin, six of Nightwing and four of them together. Tim was about to get another of Nightwing when something sounded behind him, and he was too slow to see it before it got him.

“Who are you?” Robin demanded as he caught the boy’s shoulder in a vice-like grip.

“I-I-I-” Tim sputtered, eyes growing wide as he realised the hand belonged to Robin. The Robin. Robin. Standing right there. In front of him. Looking angry. Angry Robin. “It’s not what it looks like, I swear!” Tim adjusted the strap so his camera pressed against his back, away from Robin studying eyes.

“Really? Because, to me, it looks like some punk little kid is taking photos he shouldn’t be.”

“Taking photos isn’t a crime, reporters do it all the time.” Tim clutched at him camera tightly.

“Are you a reporter, kid?”

“… No.” Robin sighed as he observed the way the kid was protecting his camera, like it was the most important thing to him.

“Look, it’s too dangerous for you to be out here at night. This is Crime Alley, what were you thinking?”

“I just wanted to see you and Di- and Nightwing together.” At that Robin laughed and released his grip on Tim shoulder.

“Well, you’ve seen it, now you should go home, it’s cold as fu- heck.”

“But-But I-”

“C’mon, kid, let’s take you home.” Tim thought for a moment; he had two options:

Option 1: Do as Robin says and allow him to walk you home, thus being about to spend the next thirty minutes with him.

Option 2: Run, thus being able to spend many more hours technically stalking the vigilantes, whilst in the most dangerous area of Gotham city.

Tim gripped his camera tightly, smiled at Robin… And sprinted in the other direction.

“Hey!” Tim’s little legs moved with all their might as Robin followed fast on his heels. “Kid!”

Never in his life did Tim think he would be running from Robin, but here he is, sprinting down the streets of Crime Alley, cold air biting at his skin and, god, he needs to exercise more. He’s doing well though, zigzagging through streets, but Robin’s still to close.

Tim was almost out of energy when someone grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into a narrow alley. Robin ran right past them, unaware of what was about to unfold.

“Thank you.” Tim huffed deeply as he supported himself against his knees, but as he moved he felt the hand around his wrist move with him. “Uh, thanks.” He tugged his hand away, but the grip tightened. “Hey-” His voice disappeared when he looked at the owner of the hand. Multiple masked people stood around him, with long blades strapped to their backs and their faces covered by masks

“Robin! Robin! Hel-mmm!” Tim tried to hit the man with his small fists as a chemical-drenched cloth was pressed firmly over his mouth. His screams were muffled and eventually faded when his head spun and the world around him grew darker, darker, darker.

** _Breaking news_ **

_ Drake Heir Missing _


	2. This Is You Home How

(9 years old)

Tim was a smart kid, he knew he'd been kidnapped, knew he had very little chance of getting home, but Ra's never treated him like a hostage, he made sure Tim was fed and comfortable with his new living quarters, he dressed Tim in sinks and kept conversation with him, it was the most attention Tim had gotten in years from someone not paid to care for him. His room was huge, with a gigantic bed and a bathroom with a bath he could do laps in, he noticed wordlessly that some of the things already in his room had previously lived in his bedroom in Gotham, it made him wonder how long Ra's had been planning his abduction.  
  
"Mister Al Ghul?" Tim began as he cut his food into small pieces.  
  
"Timothy, I've already said you may call me Ra's."  
  
"Right... Ra's?"  
  
"Yes, Timothy?"  
  
"Am I ever going home?" He asked carefully, Ra's had never shown him anger or violence in the few weeks he'd been there but Tim had heard him shouting orders and reprimands at people.  
  
"You are home." Tim sighed, Ra's always said this, 'This is your home now' 'welcome home'.  
  
"But my mom and dad, they'll know I'm gone, they'll look for me."  
  
"And they'll never find you." Ra's took a long sip from his wine glass, making Tim glance at his own, which was full of the same deep red liquid, he wondered if Ra's knew he was only nine. "Timothy, you are full of so much potential, I refuse to see it be squandered in the likes of Gotham, so I suggest you forget your parents, as they have you, and accept your new life here, where you belong." Tim's shoulders slumped, he'd lost his appetite the moment the conversation started, but Ra's' confirmation only made him feel worse.  
  
"Yes, Ra's."  
  
"Good." Ra's finally looked up at Tim with a calculating gaze, "Have a drink, Timothy, it'd be a shame to waste good wine." Tim gave the glass a hard stare before he carefully pulled it into his hands, it felt far too big in his grip. When he summoned the courage to take a sip it tasted foul in his mouth, rich and like it would stain his tongue the same colour and taste. Ra's gave him that warm smile that always made him forget for a moment that he was a hostage.

* * *

(10 years old)

"I think it's time you begin training." Ra's said as they strolled through the gardens. They were at one of Tim's preferred compounds, it was comfortably warm with a pleasant breeze, a stark contrast to the ones hidden amongst cold, icy mountains.  
  
"Training?" Tim looked up at Ra's questioning, it had been a year since he had been taken, though it felt like longer. He no longer missed his parents.  
  
"Yes, if you are to gain the position I intend for you, you'll need to begin training for it, I cannot have you being helpless any longer." Ra's rarely minded Tim's obvious inferiority, in fact, he often showed Tim off like a pet and would have Tim sit close by or stand behind him when he discussed business with guests. Though there was always one guest that, when they visited, Tim would be sent to his room and ordered to not leave until retrieved.  
  
"How will I be training?"  
  
"Well, Talia and I will train you, you'll learn how to fight and strategize, and I have invited a teacher to advance your academic and technological knowledge." That piqued Tim's interest, he felt a thrill of excitement at the chance to learn more about technology. It almost made the idea of fighting worth it. "How does that sound?"  
  
"I'm eager to learn more." Tim replied once he decided it gave enough affirmation to please Ra's but was vague enough that it would not give away his concerns. Ra's nodded happily.

* * *

(11 years old)

Tim heard Ra's enter his room immediately, he's been awake for nearly half an hour but hadn't wanted to leave the warm comfort of his huge bed. Something about the day had felt different, the sky was darker than usual, threatening a storm. 

"Timothy, are you awake?" Tim sat up as a way of saying yes, he smiled. "I have troubling news."

"Would you like to sit?" Ra's accepted the invitation and moved so he could sit on the edge of the bed, Tim shuffled to make more room. "What is the news?" Ra's looked away from him, eyes instead trained on the darkening clouds.

"I have received word that your parents have died." Of everything that Tim had expected, that was not it. He felt like his heart had stopped as he imagined every horrible thing that could have caused their deaths; a plane accident, a car accident, poison, murder, but when he tried to remember his parents he came up blank. He couldn't picture their faces, couldn't remember their hugs, they'd become ghosts in his mind long before they'd died.

"How?" He muttered quietly.

"An intended plane accident, it appears a hit was put out on them."

"What will happen to their business?" Was it cold-hearted of him to ask?

"Many accounts have been frozen and it is likely that Wayne Enterprise will gain control of Drake Industries." He nodded slowly.

"Thank you for telling me, Ra's." Ra's smiled before he stood from the bed.

"Will you be joining me for breakfast?"

"Of course." Tim watched him go, waiting for the door to close before he let his eyes fill with tears. He curled in on himself, sinking into the bed, he hadn't cried since the first month he'd begun living with Ra's, but now sobs shook his body as the rain began to fall outside. He allowed himself ten minutes before he collected his composure and climbed out of bed. As Ra's said, there is no use dwelling on a life that was no longer his own.

* * *

(12 years old)

Robin was dead. 

The Joker had beaten him to a bloody pulp then left him to be blown up along with the warehouse he had been locked in. Batman didn't make it in time. Robin was dead and Ra's was bringing him back. Tim had been granted permission to be there when Robin was sacrificed to the Lazarus. It was surreal seeing the person he had admired as a child now lifeless and bruised, all spirit gone from his body. He looked so small, Tim realised that Jason was sixteen, only four years older than him.

Tim watched as they dropped Jason Todd into the Lazarus pit, it bubbled and hissed as it took effect, a few moments passed of everyone the room waiting in anticipation.  
A scream shot through the room suddenly, piercing the silence that had previously overcome it, Jason emerged from the neon green pool with mania in his frantic, searching eyes, and for a full second his eyes landed on Tim, until they snapped to guard. Tim held himself still as Jason launched at the guard and tore out his throat before he threw himself out a window. The whole event was a whirlwind from start to finish and Tim couldn't help the headache and fear it caused him, had Jason not moved his attention to the guard it could have been Tim now lying dead on the stone, with blood seeping through the cracks and throat a bit of a distance away.  
  
"Well, that was unexpected." Ra's said with an amused tone. "Talia, go fetch him. And someone clean that up." Ra's waved his hand towards the dead body. "Come along, Timothy." Tim hesitated longer than he meant to, eyes still trained on the body and broken glass. "Timothy." His sharp growl snapped Tim out of his trance, he quickly moved to Ra's' side.  
  
They had only just left the room when Tim gasped as Ra's caught his jaw and pushed him roughly against a wall. Tim struggled against his hold but only earnt himself sharp nails digging into his skin. Even though Ra's had begun to teach him lessons and obedience through physically showing his superior power, he didn't understand what he'd done wrong this time. Ra's said nothing until Tim calmed enough to stop struggling.  
  
"If you ever hesitate to join my side again, I will make you regret it." _Oh_. Tim averted his eyes from Ra's too bright green ones.  
  
"Yes, Ra’s."

* * *

(14 years old)

Tim couldn’t breathe, he felt like he was dying, he was covered in cuts and bruises, his weapon had been thrown across the arena and the opponent had stepped aside, awaiting Ra’s command.

“Leave us.” The opponent hurried away. Tim stayed on his knees as he looked up at Ra’s, the older man offered his hand and smiled when it was accepted. “You have improved. Am I pushing you too much?” Tim was surprised by the kindness behind Ra’s voices, usually, he was furious when Tim failed to defeat an opponent.

“Of course not.”

“Good. I’m proud of you, Timothy.” Tim ducked his head to hide his smile from Ra’s. “Try again.” He gestured and another opponent came out.

Tim crouched to prepare.

* * *

(16 years old)

He hit the ground with a painful thud as his sword flew across the arena. Talia had recently made it her primary goal to put him in his place, something was going on between her and Ra's that Ra's wouldn't tell him about, and Talia was taking it out him.  
  
Tim twisted quickly to avoid Talia's sword as she brought it down hard, narrowly missing arm. Tim jumped to his feet and ran across the arena to retrieve his sword, Talia ran after him with a frustrated growl. He snatched up his sword and spun just in time to block Talia's next attack.  
  
Her furious eyes caught his for a moment before she swung again. The last time they'd sparred, Tim had won and Ra's had made sure to tell Talia in front of him that she was a disappointment, so her anger was justified but she seemed prepared to literally murder him.  
  
Tim leapt back when she suddenly thrust her sword towards him. Her footing unbalanced enough for Tim to duck pass her and sweep up her feet, she gasped as she fell to the ground, the familiar thud was probably too satisfying to hear. Before Talia had a chance to stand Tim pressed his sword against her throat so her only choice was to wield. She glared at his sword a long moment before she dropped her own and held her hands up to signal her failure. Ra's appeared almost out of nowhere.  
  
"Excellent work, Timothy, you never cease to impress me." Ra's rested a hand on Tim's shoulder approvingly as he sheathed his sword.  
  
"Thank you, Ra's."  
  
"Talia," Ra's turned his cold gaze to his daughter, "You are allowing personal ongoings to distract you."  
  
"Yes, Father." Talia bowed her head to Ra's and kept down as he walked away, this is how it usually went, Tim looked forward to it because no matter out bruised and bloody he may get while training, he always got an hour to himself to shower and relax while he licked his wounds.  
  
"... Do you want to talk about it?" Tim asked carefully. He and Talia had never gotten along, he'd been living with Ra's for over 7 years now and most of their interactions had been during training or dinners with Ra's.  
  
"I don't need your pity." Talia hissed back, as she shoved past him she made sure to clip the shoulder Ra's had rested his hand, Tim let her, despite knowing he could stop her if he wanted. He figured it would be demeaning to be taken down twice by a teenager. "Remember, Timothy, you are replaceable, I am not." Tim rolled his eyes.  
  
"Are you sure about that Talia?" He asked, causing her to turn and look at him. "He can make more of you, and maybe you should remember which one of us is his favourite, because it was never you." Tim smiled sweetly as he took the opportunity to stride past Talia, shocked still by his own confidence. He kept his back on her, anticipating a retaliation, but none came.

* * *

(18 years old)

It was a baby, that much was obvious. There it was, incubating in the large sphere and connected to tubes and wires. Tim knows he should have minded his own business, if Ra's found out he had gone snooping through the compound or found his secret, his punishment would be unforgettable and almost crippling, but seeing the truth now, Tim's glad he took the risk.  
  
The baby was very developed, all his limbs were fully grown and a faint wisp of dark hair was stark against his pale head. Occasionally he would move, stretching out his legs or unclenching a fist. Tim wasn't sure how long he stood there and watched the baby breathe but eventually the sound of footsteps stirred him from his trance and he quickly scurried but to his room, with two more hours of sleep before when a guard would usually knock on his door to wake him.  
  
Tim returned to visit the baby several more times in its last two months of incubation, he was mesmerised by it that he'd risked getting caught too many times to count.  
  
"Timothy," Tim looked up from his lunch immediately, obediently meeting Ra's gaze.  
  
"Yes, Ra's?"  
  
"I feel it is time I inform you that Talia will be having a child soon."  
  
"Oh." Tim wasn't sure what to say that wouldn't incriminate him. "She does not seem... With child." It was a valid thing to question, Talia had had dinner with them last night, she was still as slim and muscular as always.  
  
"An alternative incubation process was taken." Tim nodded as though he was trying to decipher the meaning behind Ra's' words, when in fact he was wondering how insane Ra's would sound to someone who hadn't been living with him for nearly nine years.  
  
"When is the child due?"  
  
"In two weeks."

* * *

(18 years old)

Tim stood carefully still, if he moved Talia might actually acknowledge him and send him away. She held Damian in her arms, marvelling at him and speaking as though he would overthrow the gods, her worship of him seemed to be the only thing she and Tim had in common. Damian was adorable, so small and gorgeous; Tim had been lucky enough to be there when he first opened his eyes, they were green and turquoise and so full of wonder, Tim was already mourning that wonder. 

He watched as Talia crouched by the pool with Damian cradled in her arms, she gently waded him through the water, Tim said nothing despite his concerns, he wasn’t stupid enough to undermine Talia.

“Lady Al Ghul, this isn’t safe for the child.” Tim shook his head mournfully when one of the nurses spoke up, liked her quite a bit too, she had been one of the regular nurses to help him when he first started training. Lightning fast, a thin blade shot through the air and pierced through the woman’s throat

“How dare you tell me what is safe for my son.” Talia hissed as the nurse fell forward into the pool, her blood spread quickly as dread spread through Tim. Talia smiled, satisfied with herself, she pulled Damian from the pool and held him up, as if on display. “All hail the Al Ghul Heir.” The surviving nurses and guards knelt down, long since trained to do as told. Tim took a knee, but as he did, he realised what needed to be done.

He would not allow Damian to go through everything he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ra's: Tries to manipulate and make Tim loyal  
Tim: Nine years later and about to runaway with Damian, "Lol, nope"


	3. Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say this fic was inspired by some art by Nanigram on Tumblr, so you y'all should totally check them out! I was gonna include a link the the specific piece but it's actually a spoiler so I'll included the link later ;)

After so long Jason thought Gotham City would have changed, he thought maybe Batman would have made a difference. Clearly not. The city was still plagued with crime, festering on every corner, torn between gangs running amok right under Batman's nose

Jason watched the cars below him speed pass, not a single one of them actually close to the speed limit, through the smog and bustle of Gotham he could vaguely makeout and the silhouette of the civilians on the sidewalks. It was actually a little impressive that Gotham had stayed the exact same since his death six years ago, his favourite gargoyle even managed to last during his absence, if not for a few new cracks.

“Red Hood.” Now that was a voice he wasn't expecting.

Jason turned, grimace hidden by the hood, and stared at the woman behind him. Talia Al Ghul, the human form of a poisoned apple, alluring but deadly.

“Talia, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Something has been taken from me, I believe the thief is hiding in Gotham.”

“You should take better care of your things.” Had anyone else said it they'd probably be dead now, but Jason knew Talia had spent far too much time and resources ensuring he was trained by the best; killing him would just be a waste of time and effort. “What was taken?” 

“You'll know when you see it.” Jason raised and eyebrow, then remembered she couldn't see past his helmet.

“How vague.” He muttered as one of his alarms silently went off, alerting him to an intruder in his safe house. Probably just Dick begging him to ‘come home, Jay’ again. "Well, this has been fun but I've gotta go beat up Nightwing. I'll keep an eye out for your thief and… Thing." Talia thanked him before he jumped over the edge of the building and shot a line. He made it to the safe house without trouble and landed on the fire escape silently. He unhinged a gun as he opened the window and slipped through, if the intruder wasn't Dick they were in for a nasty surprise, if it was Dick, he was also in for a nasty surprise. He easily made out the shadow of a figure in the living room, too short to be Dick, he lifted his gun, aiming for the intruder's calf. They suddenly spun around.  
  
"Wait!" They demanded, realising abruptly that Red Hood had been behind them and was aiming a gun with the intention to immobilise. Through the darkness, Jason could tell the person was holding something wrapped in a bundle, he kept his gun trained on the man as he circled around and found a light switch. Light flooded the room, causing the man to squint, actually it wasn't a man, this kid couldn't be older than eighteen, small but well built. Despite having a gun pointed at him, he kept his gaze hard and focused, with his body slightly curled around the bundle in his arms.   
  
"You've got some guts, kid." Jason growled, feeling a sense of satisfaction when the kid took a small step back. "Who the hell are you?"   
  
"My name's Tim, I need you help." Jason was just about to question him when a small noise sounded from the bundle, the guy- _ Tim _\- adjusted the bundle to reveal a small face with a button nose and tiny hand reaching out. “I… We have nowhere else to go.”

Jason couldn't help but stare for a long moment, trying to understand what was happening; this kid, standing very confidently in the middle of his living room, had intentionally broken into the Red Hood's apartment with a baby, seeking… Help? Refuge? Protection? Jason shook his head

“Why are you here? Don't you have family or something?” The kid... _ Tim _... Tim shook his head.

“I'm from a gang, I ran away, I couldn't watch my son go through the same suffering that I have.” Son? Jason guessed that made sense, it'd be weird to have a kid that wasn't yours… Unless you're Batman or Bruce Wayne. _ Heh _.

“What about your girl? The kid's mum?” 

“She wanted him to be raised like us.” Raised? So he didn't join a gang he grew up in one. Nonetheless. 

“Well, you can't stay here. Sorry, but this ain't a shelter, I can set you up in one thou-”

“No!” He lowered his voice when the baby whined from the tone. “They'll find me, and kill me, or they'll take him away. I need your protection, you're the only person I can trust.” 

“Why don't you go to Batman?” Jason tried to remove the frustration from his voice; this game of 21 questions was getting really annoying.

“He wouldn't understand.” Tim replied darkly before he adjusted the bundle again, gazing at the baby like it was his entire life. “Please, I can pay you.” Jason groaned. He knew he shouldn't let this kid stay, but if he really had nowhere else to go, it’d be murder to throw him onto the streets. Like throwing a wounded rabbit into a pack of wolves.

“Jesus, I don't want you money, kid.” He wished he wasn't wearing the hood just so he could rub his temples. He groaned again. “Fine, you can stay here but,” he glanced at the clock in the kitchen, “fuck, it's five am. You can use the spare room, it's got a blanket and pillows, I'll figure this shit out tomorrow.” Jason gestured for Tim to follow him as he lead the way to the spare room.

“Thank you, I know you probably have a lot of doubts about this but I’m very grateful.” Seriously, what kind of gang member talked like that?

“Whatever. My rooms down there, if you try to kill me in my sleep or steal shit, you'll fucking regret it.” Tim nodded and slipped into the room, Jason shut it behind him. “... What the fuck am I thinking?” Instead of answering his own question he trudged to his room, striped off the hood and most of his gear, and collapsed onto the bed. Maybe this was all a weird dream and when he woke up, there wouldn’t be a random teen in his spare room, or he’d would realise he’d asked the _ Red Hood _ for help and would make a run for it. Jason let out a frustrated sighed as he rolled over.

Thankfully, he fell asleep quickly, despite all his new problems to deal with.

* * *

Tim sighed with relief once the door was shut behind him. Jason had actually agreed to help him, or at least was letting him stay the night. He felt like he hadn't slept in days, to concerned about protecting Damian. Between escaping the compound and fleeing the entire country, he had been wide awake, expecting to be intercepted at every turn and on edge every second. He was exhausted, mentally and physically, but Damian was safe, Damian was free. He was free.

Tim dropped his bag full of babe supplies by the bed and toed off his shoes before he gently climbed into the bed, he used the two pillows to make a small fortress and nestled Damian between them. He had cried so much on the flight he must have completely drained himself, at least it allowed Tim the time he needed to talk with Red Hood and finally rest, if only until Damian wakes up. Using one arm as a pillow, Tim wrapped his other around the fortress as he slowly drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tim: Omg we're free  
Jason: I'm an idiot  
This a lot shorter than my chapters usually are, and a lot more dialogue, so I'll try to make the next one a little longer, thank you all so much for the support <3


	4. Stick together

Jason rolled over to avoid the light streaming through his blinds, trying to fall back to sleep. Now that he was spending his nights trying gain control of Gotham's underworld the only time he had to sleep was the morning. As he started drifting back to sleep the smell of burning eggs slipped through the cracks in his door. Jason instantly bolted up in bed, remembering the night before.  
_   
Kid.   
  
Baby.   
  
Tim. _   
  
"Shit." He rolled out of bed and threw on a pair of sweats and shirt. He reached for the hood but hesitated, it's not like Tim would know who he was, even if he remembered Jason Tood-Wayne, Jason looked nothing like he had before he died, too many new scars and a two day stubble sixteen-year-old him could only dream of having, not to mention the white tuff of hair in the centre of his forehead.   
  
Jason rolled his shoulders, hearing them pop slight, before he left his room to make sure Tim hadn't started burning his safe house down. When he walked into the kitchen he found Tim still in his clothes from the night before. Did he have other clothes?   
  
Tim's brows were furrowed as he tried to cook, with apparently very little sucess, and the baby was nestled in his free arm, trying to stretch the hem of his shirt.   
  
"What are you doing?" Tim's shoulder's slumped.   
  
"I wanted to make breakfast as a 'thank you' but, um..."   
  
"You can't cook for shit?"   
  
"I've never had to." A gang member that's never had to cook? Jason considered the comment as he moved to take the spatula from Tim, he seemed dishearted to have failed but accepted it. Jason took the pan of chard eggs to the bin and scraped them in, as he did the baby babbled at him and reached out.   
  
"So, what's his name?"   
  
"Damian, it means 'to tame'." Jason glanced at Tim, the poor teen was way too young to have a kid, to be raising him on his own, Tim looked at Damian like he was his whole world. Jason didn't want to know what Tim had been through to want to protect Damian so badly from it.   
  
"Did you name him?"   
  
"No. His grandfather did." Tim eyes flashed a strained looked before he made a funny face at Damian to make him laugh. Jason rubbed the back of his neck, getting a headache from the smell of burnt eggs.   
  
"I'm gonna go get changed, we can get breakfast at the cafe down the street, I guess, then figure this situation out." Tim smiled before he left the kitchen for his room.   
Inside, he laid Damian on the bed, he made curious noises as Tim undid his onesie, wiggling his legs excitedly, Tim squeezed his little feet until he let out shrill laughter. He'd read everything he could about how to raise and care for a baby, he wanted Damian to be happy even if he didn't know the complexity of emotions. Neither of them really did yet.   
  
Tim changed Damian into a pale grey onesie, with simple animal prints all across it, it was one of the three Tim had stolen during his travel to Gotham, trusting Talia to have put trackers in everything she'd had for Damian. Tim then placed Damian in the centre of the bed, stomach down, so he could wiggle happily while Tim changed. He hadn't brought much for himself, too concerned he wouldn't pack enough for Damian, but he still had two clean shirts, so he threw on the black one and patted down his pants like that would make them clean. If Ra's could see him now- Tim chuckled- dressed in a 'commoner's' clothes, instead of the silks Ra's usually dressed him in. Tim liked it, it was like the teen rebellion he'd be punished for back home. _Home_. Tim shook his head and picked up Damian again.   
  
"It wasn't really home, was it?" He asked the baby, who babbled back, reaching for his face. "But it's okay now, because we're free. Do want to go outside and see people that aren't trained assassins?" He smiled was Damian's little hand caught his nose, digging his nails in curiously. "Yeah, me too." He settled Damian in his arm and left his room again. Outside, Jason was sitting on the fire escape, lit cigarette between his lips, he was looking out into the city, watching people go by. Tim couldn't help but admire how the former Robin had grown, no longer the kid used to be, trying to help Tim all those years ago, but still willing the help a complete stranger. Tim also didn't mind the new view, the second Robin had been his favourite as a child but now he was tall and strong and made Tim feel safer… Not that he'd ever admit any of that out loud. 

Jason realised they were back when Damian made a gurgling noise, he flicked the butt away and climbed back in.

“Hey, ready to go?” Tim nodded, fixing the strap of his bag as he followed Jason out of the apartment.

As they walked, Jason watched Tim readjust how he held Damian in his arms, switching back and forth between which arm did the most holding. He was just observing until Damian began to whine, frustrated with being tousled so much.

“Do you want me to hold him?” Tim immediately stopped trying to fix his hold, pulling Damian close to his chest. “Hey, hey, I'm not gonna make a run for it with your kid, but you've been holding him all morning, I bet, your arms must feel like lead.” If Ra's saw him giving in to such a trivial discomfort, he probably would have been punished, but his arms _ were _ starting to ache. Slowly, he relinquished Damian, Jason took him carefully, wiggling a finger in front of him to distract him before his whines turned into crying. Jason continued to play with Damian until they rounded the corner and stepped into the cafe. 

“Peter! Great to see you,” A woman greeted cheerily, eyes slowly looking over Tim and Damian. “I didn’t know you were caught,” she joked, cooing at Damian from behind the counter.

“I’m not,” Jason replied quickly. “Hannah, this is my friend, Josh, and his kid.”

“Aw, aren’t you both adorable.” Tim smiled as he analysed Hannah; she was older than them, probably in her mid-thirties, with an undercut and her hair tied in a bun. He tensed when she reached for Damian but instantly calmed when Jason moved just enough so that he was out of reach. “Oh, sorry,” She smiled apologetically. “Well, take a seat, lovelies, someone will be with you in a moment.” Jason thanked her then lead Tim to a table.

“Do you want him back?”

“Yes, please.” He relaxed completely once Damian was settled back into his arm, it still ached slightly but now he knew he was completely safe. “You know the waitress?” Jason shrugged.

“I come here pretty often, she just likes being social.” There was a beat in there conversation.

“Your name’s… Peter?” Tim knew that wasn’t true, obviously, but he wondered if Jason would stick with the lie or not. The answer would tell Tim how long Jason expected them to stay together. The older man sighed as a waitress brought them two glasses and a jug of water, he waited until she left them to decide what they wanted to eat.

“No, it’s not, but with my profession,” _ Flying around and controlling the criminal underworld of Gotham _, Tim’s mind supplied, “It’s usually best to use other names… But, I suppose, you can call me Jason.” Tim smiled to himself as he drank his water.

“I like that name.” He replied genuinely.

* * *

Hannah took their orders, Jason ordered a mocha latte and egg and bacon roll and Tim order a black coffee and stared at their pancake options longing until Jason spoke up.

“If you want them, just order it, no one’s stopping you.” Tim smiled so brightly Jason swore he almost went blind, before he ordered a small stack with blueberries and maple syrup. Jason waited for Hannah to go before he talked again. “What, you weren’t allowed pancakes growing up?” Tim almost laughed, he’d been on a strick, monitored diet from the age of nine, never allowed to indulge in sweets unless, on very rare occasions, he was being rewarded.

“My… Dad hated sweets, I haven’t had stuff like that since I was a kid.” His nanny as a child loved to make pancakes, he could tell every time his parents had called to say they were extending their trip because then his pancakes would be littered with choc chips. Tim shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” He dismissed coldly.

“Sure.” Jason looked at Damian playing with the small stuffed toy Tim had procured from his bag, he was munching on the ear of the plush cow, “Wouldn’t he be getting hungry?”

“I fed him this morning before you woke up, he doesn’t need to be fed for another two hours.” Jason nodded, thanking Hannah for their food as she dropped them off. They ate in silence, Jason watched as Tim skillfully ate one-handed but didn’t offer to help or hold Damian, figuring he wouldn’t want to give up his kid again so quickly. They were almost done when Jason knock over his cup by accident, spilling the little that was left onto the table. 

“Ah, shit.” Tim stood before he could.

“I’ll get napkins.” As Tim turned from his chair his shoulder collided into a woman, who had been about to pass behind him. Tim breathed in quickly, flustered, he was about to apologise when the woman spoke.

“عفوا” Jason watched the muscles in Tim back coiled so tightly he wondered if it hurt, the woman put her hand on Tim’s arm to steady herself, her nails dug in slightly as she leered at Damian. “انه لطيف جدا.” Tim bristled.

“شكرا.” He replied sharply. The woman gave him a sickeningly sweet smiled before she finally released her grip on him and left them. Tim remained still, holding Damian with both his arms now.

“Tim?” He didn’t respond, staring at the spot where the woman had stood. “Tim?” Jason got up this time and gently put his hand on Tim’s shoulder, the younger boy flinched and turned to him with glassy eyes.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry.” He shook himself and looked away from Jason’s concerned gaze.

“Let’s go, yeah? I’ll pay and apologise for the mess.” Tim tried to argue but Jason shushed him gently. “You can just pay me back later.” He lied, there was no way he was letting Tim give him money. Tim waited to the side while Jason paid. “Okay, want to hit the shops?” Tim looked at him confused. “Well, we need a crib for him, and clothes and baby supplies.” His heart swelled in a way that almost made him feel sick, Jason really wanted to help them. 

“Right, um, yes, I would appreciate that.”

* * *

They wandered around the shops for an hour before Damian began to complain, hungry and tired of being held. Jason had somehow managed to balance the box with the crib in the new, dark blue pram they’d gotten, along with all the supplies in the back carrier. They’d argue who would pay several times. 

_ “He’s my kid, I should pay, I have money.” _

_ “You wanted my help, I’m helping.” _

_ “I want your help to protect him, I have money.” _

_ “Well, buy some new clothes for yourself with your money.” _

_ “What’s wrong with my clothes.” _

Jason had just rolled his eyes, throwing clothes he thought would fit Tim into the trolley, and pushed the smaller boy out of the way when they got to the registers.

When they got back, Tim went about preparing a bottle for Damian, he placed Damian on the rug beside Jason, who was already reading the instructions for the crib. Jason watched Damian wiggle on the spot eagerly, like he was swimming but not actually moving, he tickled Damian’s side, earning a happy giggle. He then watched as Tim held Damian carefully while he ate, he gave himself a moment to actually _ look _at Tim, he was lean but muscular, kind of similar to Talia if Jason actually thought about it. In the lighting, Jason could now see the faint wisps of scars along his skin, most probably hidden by his shirt, and he had faint spots on his earlobes, like they had once held earrings.

What Jason was really looking for, he told himself, were signs of previous gang-loyalty; the Banovis wore piercings, but usually only a single gem in their right ears, the Calnons had a tattoo of a crow skull on their left shoulders, and more subtle gangs like the Lintons or Pirocrovs wore synature rings. Tim had none of these and didn’t even look like he’d fit into any of those gangs, the only sign he’d been through something was his scars. Maybe if Jason hacked into Bruce’s database he could find something, but that would risk drawing Bruce’s attention to Tim. His other choice was to interrogate some gang members, and he’d rather put the fear of the Red Hood into some low lifes than talk to Bruce just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jason: i am neither a dad nor a daddy  
Tim and Damien: hi  
Jason: nevermind


	5. Familiar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have so many Jaytim fic ideas it's not healthy

“Hood, man, I swear I don’t know nothing!” Under the hood, Jason rolled his eyes over the double negative as he adjusted his grip on the gun to lessen the threat. Danny Pirocrov was his family’s biggest weakness, the youngest son that snitched at the first sign of trouble. Jason patted a gloved hand against his cheek, making him flinch.

“I believe you,” Pirocrov sighed with relief, “For now.” Jason added to reminded him that he was still the Red Hood. Jason shoved away from the gangster. That was three gangs already that hadn’t heard anything about a runaway gang member, and Jason was slowly accepting Tim was probably lying to him and keeping secret a bigger threat. Jason left Pirocrov in the warehouse and shot a line once he was outside.

As he soared through the air he felt the cold breeze cut across the exposed skin on his neck, so much of the training Talia had put him through was done in the blistering heat of midday, he could still feel the phantom sweat sticking to his skin. He shivered as he moved, rolling onto a rooftop.

“Heya, little wing.”

“Fuck!” Jason stumbled back, caught off guard by the all too-familiar voice. Of all the nights Dick had to come and bother him, it had to be while he was busy. “What do you want, Dickhead?” Dick held back comment of ‘wow, creative’.

“You know, the usual, just checking if you want to stop being a crime lord and come back to your family.” Jason rolled his eyes again.

“Just give up, will you? I’m not going back to B and that stupid brat girl.”

“Robin’s not as bad as you’re making her out to be.”

“Yeah, you're right,” Jason agreed, cringing at the way Dick’s posture changed with hope. “Robin’s fine when they’re not replacing you.”

“Hood-”

“Just leave me alone. You weren’t my brother then and you’re not now.” Jason knew it would hurt but he was tired and frustrated and had no damn idea where Tim had come from. He turned so he wouldn't have to watch Dick’s shoulders drop and shot a new line, headed for the next gang. Maybe the Calnons would shine a light on the case.

* * *

Jason called it an early night around four AM, he’d integrated every gang, stopped three muggings and played hide and seek with Batman. After taking a rough fall into an alley, he’d decided he was very done with being chased by his ‘family’.

Cautious of waking Tim, Jason slipped through the window quietly, taking off his boots and leaving them under the window before he stepped carefully towards his room. He paused at Tim’s door, hand hovering over the handle for a moment.

“Get it together, man.” Jason hissed at himself, he didn’t need to check that Tim and Damian were okay, none of his alarms had gone off and, apparently, no one in Gotham even knew they existed. Despite himself, Jason opened the door ajar, inside Tim had shuffled the cot so it was beside the bed and had a hand resting on its edge. Satisfied, he shut the door again and headed to his own room. As he got ready to sleep he wondered if he should organise a sleep schedule like a responsible crime lord. How had he stayed up so late as Robin?

* * *

_Jason looked over the small kid carefully, something about his blue eyes and brushed down hair was familiar. Jason wanted to take him to safety, he was too young to be in downtown Gotham. He stuck out like a sore thumb and would be easy prey for any low life with a thing for the cute and small._

_Jason was so close to convincing him, he was smiling up at him, and suddenly he was gone, and Jason couldn’t catch up in time. Before he knew it, the kid had completely disappeared._

** _Drake Heir Missing._ **

* * *

When Jason dragged himself out of bed, Tim and Damian were already awake and hanging out on the carpet in front of the TV, Damien was wiggling happily on the small patchwork quilt they’d gotten him yesterday while Tim helped him put the cube through the square-shaped hole – which mostly involved Tim doing all the work while Damian giggled and gnawed on the triangle piece.

“Hey,” He mumbled tiredly as he trudged into the kitchen, his dull tone made Tim look up.

“Are you okay?” The sincerity in his voice made Jason slightly uncomfortable.

“Rough night.” He replied vaguely, after a night of no useful answers to questions, his family stalking him and memories from being Robin he’d long tried to suppress- _what was that kid’s name again? _\- it had easily become a very rough night. Jason glanced up as he poured himself a bowl of cereal to see Tim still looking at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Tim quickly looked back at Damian, who had rolled onto his back like a turtle, clutching his new hippo toy. With that the conversation ended, Jason made some coffee, absentmindedly filling two cups, when he realised what he’d done he tensed, but delivered the second cup to the side table nearest Tim.

“I gotta do some work, you good out here on your own?”

“I’m not on my own.” Tim smiled warmly and tickled Damian’s side to emphasise his point. Jason smiled but quickly turned before Tim could see it.

“Kay.” He left with his coffee and shut the ‘office’ door behind him. Office was a very generous term, it was the smallest of the three rooms and was set up like his own personally batcave, or bat storage room, a desk with computer and print took up most of the far wall and the rest of the room held some of his gear and a pin up board covered in pictures, maps and strings. He’d told himself he was going to look into cargo ships and trading to see if any of his lackies were doing deals they weren’t supposed to but instead he ended up opening and internet tab and searching ‘drake heir’

_Born and raised in Gotham, Timothy Drake is now known as the Missing Drake Heir, his disappearance is an ongoing mystery but after the death of his parents it’s believed the investigations have completely ceased. Many wonder if he ran away or was taken._

Jason read the rest of the article briskly until he found a photo under the conclusion, it must have been a school photo, the kid was wearing a white button up, with his hair brushed neatly to the side. He was smiling but the bags under his eyes were suspicious, why would a kid look so tired? Jason printed out the photo and pinned it his board. There was something so familiar about him that Jason couldn’t place, maybe if he could access Bruce’s database he’d be able to find some useful information...

It took nearly two hours for him to break into Bruce’s new system without tripping any alarms he’d built in, in that time Tim had brought him a new cup of coffee. As he roamed through Bruce’s files carefully, he found the DNA results comparing the Red Hood to Robin, showing a positive match, and an analysis on Jason’s body armour and the weapons Bruce had seen so far. Pushing aside a unique feeling of hatred, Jason typed in his curiosity; surprising, there was very little on Timothy Jackson Drake, Jason discovered he had met the boy once before his disappearance, briefly at a charity gala Jason had skipped early for Robin patrol. Bruce had more photos too, one from the gala with a well dressed Timothy smiling as adults spoke to him, his smile was wide and polite but his face held no real brightness, and another of him huddled in a shadow with hoodie that was far too big for him, clutching a familiar camera. There was one more photo, but it was hard to tell what it was actually of, two figures were stood together in the distance, one much shorted than the other, they were surrounded by snow. The picture blurred, clearly taken from too far away, probably on an out-of-country mission. Jason saved the photo, hoping he could decipher it later, and printed the other two.

With a heavy sigh, He snuck back out of Bruce’s system and shut his computer. He knew there was no point spending as much time as he had on a cold case not even Bruce had figured out, but Jason couldn’t get pass the idea that if he had just managed to keep a hold on the kid all those years ago he wouldn’t be a dead end case.

A knock on the door drew Jason’s attention away from his self hatred, he hummed, signalling Tim could open the door.

“What’s up?” He asked grumpily.

“Damian’s napping, I was wondering if you wanted to take a break and watch a movie or something.” Jason turned to him. “I mean, you don’t have to, I know you’re working and being a vigilante is hard, so I’ll just-”

“What movie?” If Tim was a dog Jason was sure his ears would have sprung up.

“I saw you have something called Star Wars, it looks interesting.”

“You’ve never seen Star Wars?”

“My father thought movies were… a waste of time.”

“... Right. Star Wars is good, you’ll like it.” Tim nodded excitedly before his eyes glanced up to Jason’s pin-up board, where he’d pinned the new photos.

“... What are you working on?” If Jason had been paying more attention he would have noticed the foreign accent that slipped into Tim’s tone.

“Nothing… Just a cold case from when I was a kid.”

“If it’s cold, why are you still working on it?” This time Jason noticed the accent.

“Something reminded me of it.”

“Things that are dead should stay dead.”

“Ouch,” Jason said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood before he remembered that Tim didn’t know he was a zombie, he coughed. “Uh, let’s go put that movie on.” He stood and nudged Tim out of the room.

* * *

Tim made popcorn, with Jason's supervision, and the two sat in comfortable silence as the movie began the first movie. Tim was enthralled within minutes, he adored the characters and voiced his comparisons of Jason to the Han Solo character, Jason laughed and took it as a compliment. When Damian woke towards the end, Tim bounced him on his legs, making him giggle, while they watched the last few minutes before the credits. Upon being begged, Jason put on the second movie, as Tim collected Damian's toys and moved to the ground. Ten minutes later Jason joined them so Tim could focus on the movie.

Jason smiled at Damian when the baby scratched his little nails against his stubble excitedly, perplexed by the roughness against his soft skin.

“I guess I should shave soon.” He mumbled as Damian patted Jason's cheeks and then his own, as if comparing the textures. “Yeah, you got soft little cheeks, don’t you?” He pitched at Damian's cheek carefully, causing him to wiggle happily. Jason smiled brightly as Damian's eyes shone; he didn't notice Tim smiling at both of them and when he looked up the younger man was still watching the TV.

By the beginning of the four movie, Jason had well and truly worn Damian out, and Tim was laid splayed out on the floor, with his head rested on a pillow Jason had thrown at him. Jason picked up Damian as he stood from the floor.

“Come on, man, can't sleep on the floor.” He nudged Tim’s shoulder, the younger man stirred.

“خمس دقائق أخرى” A thick accent laced his voice.

“What?” _Had just spoken Arabic?_

“Yes, sir- I mean, uh, sorry, I was having a weird dream.” Tim hurried to his feet and kept his eyes from Jason as he put the pillow back on the couch. “Thank you for showing me the Star Wars, I really liked them.”

“There’s seven more couple, and a couple of shows.” Jason didn’t know what else to say, the room's atmosphere seemed to have gone cold.

“We’ll have to watch those too.” Tim smiled warmly, calming Jason’s worry that he’d done something wrong. "Are you going out tonight?"

"Yeah, gotta make a few appearances."

"Be careful."

"I'm always careful." Tim rolled his eyes. "Sleep well." They smiled at each other for a moment before Jason composed himself and cough. "Yeah." He nodded awkwardly and headed to his room. Tim watched him go, something warm in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jason, staring at baby Tim photos: he looks so familiar, what could it be??  
Tm, noticing baby Tim photos: STRESS  
-  
I have things I want to include in this fic but if yall have anything little things you'd like to see let me know and I'll see what I can do ;)


	6. What's Crackalackin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to my sister who learnt how to use google docs so she could edit this for me

Bruce thanked Alfred for the fresh coffee, still hunched in front of the monitors in the batcave, his system had detected a bug too late to catch it but he needed to figure out who had hacked into his system and ensure the intruder hadn’t taken information that could put someone’s life at risk. He had tracked the bug back to midtown Gotham and was still working on finding out what they had been searching for when Stephanie wandered down stairs. 

“Hey, Alfred said you have more creases in your forehead than usual, what’s crackalackin?”

“Shouldn’t you be at school.” Stephanie poked out her tongue as she sat on the desk. 

“It’s a public holiday, no school; Dick and I are getting lunch later.” Bruce nodded but didn’t look away from the computer. “So… What’s up?”

“The Red Hood broke into the system.” Stephanie hopped off the desk as if the Red Hood was hidden behind the monitors, ready to attack, again. 

“What? How do you know?” Bruce noticed her tense tone and looked away from the computer to pat his hand against her shoulder.

“It’s okay.” Stephanie smiled but she wrapped her arms around her still hurting abdomen. “I was able to relocate the bug’s signal and track it to midtown, cameras in the area caught Hood in several frames, and,” Bruce pulled up a video, in it Jason was leaving his apartment building with a man, the man was positioned well enough that his face was out of every shot, like he’d known it was there and how to avoid it. “This man has been seen three other times with Jason.”

“Who is he?”

“I… Don’t know. He’s managed to avoid every camera.”

“So, he’s smarter than the average Gotham criminal, but what if he’s not a criminal?” Bruce considered her suggestion as he typed away at the computer.

“Thank you, I’ll look into it.” Stephanie smiled at the subtle praise. “You should get ready for lunch.” 

She opened her mouth to argue before she realised she was still dressed in her pajamas, she hugged Bruce before scurrying out of the cave and towards her room. 

“Who are you?” Bruce asked the faceless man as he continued to search for a camera that would give him a different angle.

* * *

“I need a laptop.” Jason looked up from his coffee, fixing his eyes on where Tim was sat on the couch with Damian. 

“Huh?” 

“A laptop, I’d like to keep notes on Damian’s development, and other things. I mean I have a phone, but it’s only a burner.” Jason wandered how desperate Tim would have had to have been to not even take a proper phone with him when he ran away.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll do some research for a good one and then we can go out and have a look.”

“Thank you.” Tim turned his attention back to Damian, who was nibbling on the edge of his blanket. Jason moved out of the kitchen, snatching up his own laptop on the way, and took a seat on the other side of Damian. 

“Do you know what brand you want?”

“No, I never had one growing up.” 

“Really, your parent’s never even got you like a shitty, old one.”

“My father thought I’d be too influenced if I had technology.”

“Geez, I think I have a few choice words for your pops.” Tim’s laugh was a mix of genuine and empty.

“I’m with you on that.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Jason asked, earning a sigh.

“No.” With that, Jason ended the conversation, choosing to focus on looking at laptops instead. Tim looked over his shoulder, asking what certain features meant. 

“Oh, this one flips.”

“Why would I need that?” Jason shrugged but scrolled past it. They ruled out big laptops, which had earnt Jason a slap on the shoulder when he called Tim scrawny.

“Okay, got it, this one is fourteen inches and has a ten hour battery life.” Tim nodded with interest. “And the store’s down the road, wanna go get it?”

“Yes, please.” Tim picked Damian up to get him dressed while Jason went to get changed himself. When they came out of their rooms again, Damian was excitedly dressed in a yellow onesie, decorated with giraffes. He reached out for Jason, who took him once he got Tim’s nod of approval

They chatted lightly on their way to the tech store, Tim made a throwaway comment about how he’d probably need Jason to help him get used to using a laptop, and Jason hated Tim’s dad a little bit more. While in the store, Tim kept his head down, making it look like he was focussed on Damian while Jason talked to the tech worker, but Jason knew what a person avoiding cameras looked like. Jason paid because he didn’t want to raise suspicion by handing over Tim’s $100 notes. 

Tim held his new laptop excitedly while Jason used Damian to hide his smile.

“So, your pops wasn’t big on technology?” Tim glanced at Jason for a second before keeping his attention on Damian.

“Uh, no, he’s more a… Traditional kind of person.”

“Like he keeps everything on paper?” 

“Um, yes.” Tim looked up and around until his eyes landed on a diner down the road. “Hey, how about I get lunch?” He offered. Jason considered pointing out that Tim was obviously avoiding the subject but figured Damian was going to start complaining if they didn't get food into him soon. With an affirming nod they redirected their route towards the diner instead of the apartment.

The man on the register smiled as they came in and told them to sit anywhere and he'd be with them in a moment. Tim took up the furthest booth in the corner, while Jason collected up a high chair. They sat in a few moments of awkward silence before Jason couldn’t take it anymore.

“So,” Jason started as he put his menu down, Tim looked up from where he was shaking a toy in front of Damian. “How long were you and your girlfriend together?” 

Tim looked confused at the questions before he realised Jason was talking about Talia. He held back a laugh at the concept of him and Talia being anything other than bitter rivals fighting for Dad’s attention.

“It felt like years.” Is how he answered instead of laughing. There was a beat of silence before his mouth opened again without his permission. “We could have been closer, but we fought a lot, or ignored each other. We always wanted to prove one of us was better than the other.” 

Tim thought about the many times he and Talia had sparred as he grew up, and she remained ageless like Ra’s. When he was ten she’d knocked him down so hard he was concussed and still has a scar hidden under his hair, or when he was sixteen and he’d managed to get her to the edge of the arena, which happened to be a 40 foot drop, until she’d begun to fall backwards and he pulled her back onto steady ground. She’d punched him in the face right after and Ra’s had reprimanded for showing sympathy and weakness.

“I’m sure that made for a healthy relationship.” Jason mumbled as the waiter came to take their orders.

“What about you?” Tim asked when they were alone again. “Any girlfriend?” 

Jason laughed.

“I haven’t had a girlfriend since… Never. I’m more of a casual relationship kind of guy.”

“Not even as a teenager?”

“Not really, I was always too busy for any girlfriends or other.” 

Tim held back saying ‘same’, instead he wondered what their lives would have been like had they been allowed their childhoods. The silence between them was broken when the entry bell sounded, causing Jason to look up and Tim to twist around. They were both expecting to see a random stranger, and were only checking out of trained instinct, but when a tall, dark-haired man in sunglasses walked in, followed by a blonde girl around Tim’s age, Jason’s whole body tensed. 

“Fuck.” 

Tim looked back to Jason to see him tightly gripping the menu. Tim took that as a confirmation that they were now sitting two booths away from Dick Grayson and Stephanie Brown.

“Are you okay?” Tim ask, feigning oblivion.

“We should go.”

“But we haven’t eaten yet.”

“Tim, please.” Jason whispered back weakly.

“Oh my god!” Tim forced himself not to flinch when Stephanie Brown appeared at their table, a glance at Jason showed Tim he was holding his menu up high to hide his face. “Your baby is so cute.” Damian babbled excitedly at Stephanie’s bubbly energy, making grabby hands at her. Traitor, Tim thought before he smiled back at the girl.

“Thank you.”

“What’s his name?”

“Alvin.” He held back a cringe at the name.

“Cute.” Stephanie's smile was so genuine and bright it made Tim uncomfortable, talking to someone when neither of them had an ulterior motive was a foreign concept to him. “Well, I’ll leave you to your lunch. Seriously, he is so adorable.” 

She waved them goodbye before handing back to her booth. Tim listened as their chatter picked back up, talking about school and work and  _ night shifts _ . When Tim looked back at Jason, he was pale and still, Tim reached forward to touch his hand gently. Suddenly snapped back into focus, Jason stared at Tim with unsure eyes.

“Pack up Damian.” He ordered, receiving a nod. Tim left the booth while Jason collected up Damian and their bags. He smiled at the young waiter and asked for their food to be to go and handed him a couple of notes. He then took Damian and the bags from Jason so he snuck out the back. He even waved said bye to Stephanie and  _ Dick Grayson _ , waving Damian’s little hand for him to make Stephanie laugh.

Jason met him on the corner of the building next door. They didn’t speak as they walked back to the apartment and, when they got there, Jason immediately locked the door and double checked the window, before sweeping the whole place for bugs or trackers. Tim let him reassure himself as he fed Damian and put him down for a nap, then moved to the kitchen to reheat their lunches. As the microwave binged Jason dropped himself on the couch, sinking deep into the worn cushions.

“Thanks,” Jason mumbled when Tim handed him his reheat chicken wrap. Tim sat next to him, their thighs barely touching, and stayed quiet so Jason could work through seeing his brother again. “My grandad’s cooking was so much better than this.” 

Tim had only met Mister Pennyworth twice before he was  _ adopted  _ by Ra’s. The older man had once snuck him teacakes at a gala when his mother had decided two was enough; he also used to call him ‘young Tim’, instead of the uncomfortable warmth of Ra’s’ ‘Timothy’. 

“His french toast was to die for.”

“You sound like you miss him a lot.”

“Yeah.”

“Did he pass away?” Tim hadn’t checked on the butler when he was returning to Gotham, too busy studying the past year of rogue and vigilante activity.

“No, but I’m sort of… Dead, to my family… But whatever, I chose to be, for the most part.” Like an emotional gymnast, Jason flipped from nostalgic and sad to uncaring in a second.

“Well,” Tim said, aiding in the mood change, “my father always wanted me to have a wide pallet, I think I’ve tried everything in the world, from caviar to scorpion, I always liked fattoush though.”

“I’ve had scorpion but, like, Bear Grills style.” Jason made a gesture like he was biting and tearing at something, though he looked more like he was eating a chicken leg than a bug. Tim laughed at the imagery until he had to grab his plate before it was jostled off his lap.

After that they continued to eat, and when they finished Jason helped Tim set up his new laptop with the promise to install extra software for anti-tracking and a few other features that added excitement to Tim’s eyes.

* * *

Stephanie smiled at the young man and his son as they left the diner, something about him was familiar but she couldn’t put her finger on it. 

“Wasn’t he with someone else?” Dick asked, looking back at the discarded booth. 

“Yeah,” Stephanie checked behind him as well. “Maybe he left when we were talking.” She said even though she knew they both would have noticed if the other person had walked past. Dick shrugged.

“I guess it’s none of our business. Anyway, I’m getting pancakes, don’t tell Bruce.” 

Stephanie laughed before deciding on waffles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Hey google, how do you spell crackalackin?"

**Author's Note:**

> (Side eyes my other fics that need to be updated)


End file.
